Category Archives: Entree

Bottom Round Pot Roast with Onion Gravy

I found this recipe in my “keeper” folder but, of course, could not remember much about it…except that both Steve and I must have enjoyed it, hence its place in the “keeper” folder. Memory like a screen these days… ANYWAY… I tried it again and am making sure to record things this time. 🙂

Here the recipe from Allrecipes.com, one of my favorite recipe sites, from which I worked: Bottom Round Roast with Onion Gravy

And, here is my take. First of note is that this is a stove-top dish, although I am sure it would do fine in a 190 or 200 degree oven or in a slow cooker. If I try it that way, I’ll make note of it here. But, the nice thing about this recipe is that it CAN be make on a burner. In fact, when I was about to make this recipe, my oven suddenly defaulted into Sabbath mode and only the burners were working…Thankfully I was able to reset things, but the good news is that I could still have made this dish if the the oven had remained out of order!

But, I digress. So, here is my take on this dish:

3 or so cups of sliced onions. (see picture for amount)
2 or 3 cloves of garlic, minced
bottom round roast (I used one almost 3 pounds)
salt, pepper, dried rosemary to season roast before browning
a sprig or two each fresh rosemary and thyme
1/2 cup Merlot
1 bay leaf
1 tablespoon vinegar (I used cider)

After cooking the roast

another 1/2 cup Merlot
3/4 cup beef broth
1/2 teaspoon each dried thyme and rosemary
1 cup chopped fresh mushrooms
1 tablespoon flour, if needed to thicken

First, I sliced up the onion and minced the garlic.

I used two BIG onions, but in general, one onion makes about a cup, chopped or sliced.

The original recipe was intended as a very easy prep dish, and the reviews indicate that it all tasted great without browning the meat first. But, I wanted to add some extra flavor, so I started off by browning the roast in my dutch oven after seasoning with freshly ground pepper, kosher salt, and crumbled dried rosemary.

I then removed the roast and put the onions, garlic, fresh rosemary and thyme, and Merlot in the pan, turned up the heat, and deglazed the pan, scraping up the brown bits.

deglazing with the Merlot and herbs

Next, keeping things simmering, I added the bay leaf, and sprinkled in the vinegar before placing the browned roast, with the layer of fat up, on the onions.

Ready to cover and cook!

I then covered and cooked for three or so hours. I used a heat diffuser to make sure nothing burned, but it probably would have been fine without one. But do make sure you use a heavy pot! I kept the burner on low and made sure that I heard just a little bit of sound when I put my ear really close so I knew it was at a low simmer, but didn’t let it stay hot enough to cause substantial steam to be released from under the cover. Basically, you want the temperature to stay under a boil, and preferably around or under 200 degrees. AND, don’t lift the cover until you think the roast is done!

And here it is when first uncovered.

My next step was to remove the roast and tent with foil on the cutting board while I finished the gravy, starting by adding the other 1/2 cup of Merlot and simmering until the liquid was reduced by about half.

Look at those onions! Just gorgeous.

I then added the 3/4 cup beef stock (I actually used veal stock, but that is another story!) and the 1/2 teaspoon each of dried thyme and rosemary, and cooked it down a bit further.

I took this shot because I wanted to emphasize that a good wine is preferable to a red “cooking” wine, and a nice Merlot is the best choice for enhancing the flavor of the dish, as well as the enjoyment of the cooking process. 🙂 Also, I’d like to note that the wine glass in the picture is the last of the set of four that my best friend Linda gave me years ago. ❤

Next, I added the mushrooms.

Adding the mushrooms to the further reduced gravy.

To be honest, I don’t remember if I added any flour to thicken. Based on my handwritten notes, I don’t think I did. But, it is always an option if you want to thicken the gravy.

Thick enough!

The final steps: carve the meat, add to the gravy, and plate!

This was a really great recipe. And truly, using a good red wine was key to it being exceptional. To end this post, I served the beef with roasted potatoes (chop as shown, sprinkle with seasonings of choice (include rosemary for this menu) and olive oil, and roast at 425 for 45 or so minutes or until done) and steamed broccoli and carrots, as shown. Just lovely.

So easy, and leftovers are even better! Enjoy!

Apple Ginger Pork Chops

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It was early on a Sunday afternoon and I was hungry, with no patience to wait for an evening meal. And, with the weather not cooperating for Steve for anything sailing, I decided to do an abbreviated version of a Sunday Dinner – less complicated, but to be served by mid-afternoon.

I had two pork chops on hand that needed using soon, a gorgeous hunk of fresh ginger, and a Granny Smith apple; a quick Google search using these ingredients as keywords brought me to the following recipe:

Apple Ginger Pork Chops, by The Food Network’s Guy Fieri

I ended up making some adjustments, but other changing the amounts of some ingredients, I stuck to the recipe, but using the following proportions:

2 pork chops, 1 1/4-1 1/2 inch thick, center cut, bone in
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
3 teaspoons minced ginger
3 teaspoon minced garlic
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2teaspoon pepper
1/4 cup white wine (cooking wine is fine)
1 cup sliced (1/4-inch) yellow onions (one medium onion)
2 cups cored and sliced (1/4-inch) Granny Smith (one largish apple)
1/3 cup raisins
2 tablespoons butter

First, I mixed together the apple cider vinegar, 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, ginger, garlic, lemon juice, salt and pepper and marinated the chops for 60 minutes, flipping at 30 minutes.

The original recipe called for a 30 minute marinade in a Ziploc-type bag, but I used a corning ware casserole pan into which the two chops just fit. On advice in a recipe review, I lengthened the marinade time, but I suspect it would benefit from an even longer marinade time if you are not in a hurry. However, I agree with the reviewer’s warning to not marinade for too many hours since the acid in the vinegar and lemon juice can cause the meat to become mushy.

Once you are ready to cook the chops, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. and, in a large saute pan, heat 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil to almost smoking, then add pork chops, shaking off excess marinade. Brown on both sides.

browned chops

Next, place the chops on a sheet pan and put in the oven, uncovered, for 20 minutes or until internal temperature reaches 135 degrees F. (Check at 15 minutes)

In the same saute pan deglaze with the wine…

… then add onions, apples and raisins and cook until apples are soft and onions are translucent.

Just after adding to the pan.

After 5-7 minutes uncovered.

The original recipe did not specify whether or not to cover the pan. I was not confident that the onions and apples would cook down enough without burning since there was not much liquid in the pan, so I covered the pan after 5-7 minutes and lowered the temperature from medium high to medium low. Next time, I will probably just cover from the beginning and then, if there is excess liquid, cook it off at the end.

After another 6-8 or so minutes, covered - and after the butter was added.

The last step: Add butter and salt and pepper, to taste, and keep warm while waiting for chops to be done.

Once the chops are to temperature, remove from oven and put the chops onto to the apple mixture and pour any juices into the mix, as well. Hold covered, on low warm, until ready to serve.

To accompany, I opted for potatoes, since I had some on hand, although rice would also work well. As to veggies, I had a bell pepper that needed using and I wanted to keep things simple, so I tossed together 6 or so small red potatoes, quartered, a green bell pepper in large chunks/slices, and a small onion, quartered, with kosher salt, freshly ground pepper, and a small amount of a ginger/citrus shake I had in the cupboard thanks to a gift from my niece and baker/cook extraordinaire Meggie Dennis, finishing with a liberal amount of olive oil. I have a counter-top toaster oven with a convection option, so I convect-roasted the potato mix, covered with foil, for around 35 minutes at 375 and finished off for about 5 minutes at 425 uncovered. But if you have just one oven, preheat to 350 to start roasting the potato mix, covered, for 35 or so minutes before also putting the the pork chops in for their 20 minutes, and then raise the temperature to 425 to finish them off, uncovered, after the chops are done, as needed.

Dinner!

And, there you have it. It got a “keeper” vote from both Steve and me. And, I especially like the technique of marinating, browning, baking, and creating a pan topping or sauce since it lends itself to unlimited variations in flavors. Roasted veggies of any sort also lend themselves to all sorts of menus and flavors. A keeper indeed.

Homemade Egg Rolls – Baked not Fried, and it works!

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Disclaimer – forgive any typos, etc. Posted after a long day! 🙂

When food shopping a few weeks ago, I picked up some egg roll wraps, just for fun. A few weeks later, I realized that I needed to use them soon, as their freshness date (as a refrigerated product) was fast approaching. I just happened to have a half a head of cabbage that needed to be used up, too, and I always carrots in the fridge and cooked chicken in the freezer. No worries that the recipe from which I decided to start (the one on the Nasoya wrap package) called for lean ground pork. While starting with raw meat versus cooked adds yet another level of complexity to any dish, I had also found egg roll recipes that called for cooked chicken, so I decided to create my own recipe based on a few that I found online.

Here are the links to the two recipes from which I was working:

Nasoya Egg Roll Recipe
Baked Egg Rolls

Here is what I used:

1-2 tablespoons oil for sauteing (I used peanut but canola is fine)
1 teaspoon minced fresh ginger
1 teaspoon minced fresh garlic
2 cups finely chopped cabbage
1/2 cup grated carrot
1/3 cup small-diced daikon radish
1/8 cup chopped chives
2 cups finely diced cooked chicken
2 Tablespoons hoisin sauce
1/4 teaspoon anchovy paste
1/4 teaspoon hot sauce
1/2 teaspoon rice vinegar
1 Tablespoon cornstarch
1 Tablespoon + water to add to cornstarch
1 Tablespoon additional water
2 Tablespoons tamari (soy) sauce
12 egg roll wraps

Okay – let me start by saying that you should feel free to look at other recipes for seasoning ideas! I was playing around and what I used tasted yummy, but not all the same ingredients are necessary for excellent results.

For example, one recipe called for oyster sauce and I didn’t have any, but I had hoisin sauce. After reading various opinions as to what was a suitable substitute for what, I figured I would add a bit of anchovy paste to add some depth without being overly “fishy.” (Anchovy paste has a way more subtle effect than you would think.) And, I had no bean sprouts but I figured that the daikon radish I had on hand would add an extra texture, albeit not quite that of the sprouts but in step with an oriental dish. And, both recipes called for green onions, another ingredient I lacked. But, I have some chives growing in a pot, so I tossed some of them in.

You may also notice that of the two recipes I cite as sources, one calls for minced ginger and one for minced garlic. Well, hey, why not both? Fun fact: Pearl, my cat of 18 years, whom I adopted when I was in my mid 20s, loved anything, including broccoli, if it was sauteed in garlic and ginger. That cat had good taste. 🙂

Anywhoooo…the process was quick and easy. First, I chopped the veggies.

Then I sauteed the garlic and ginger:

Then I added the veggies and cooked for just a few minutes until a bit soft but still with some crunch.

Next, I added the chopped chicken and heated until warmed through, then added the sauce and cornstarch mix – everything from the hoisin sauce on in the ingredient list that I had mix together until smooth before adding.

Once the sauce was added to the chicken and heated through, I moved the mixture from the pan to a bowl so it could cool off enough to handle. Then I started assembling the egg rolls. I used 1/4 cup of filling for each wrap.

Just so you know, I had no idea that for the first 5-6 egg rolls, I didn’t realize how thin the wraps were and used two per roll. Those that had a double wrap were fine, but not additionally good enough for me to recommend using double wraps all the time unless you try it and find you prefer a thicker egg roll wrap. 🙂

Then I folded up from the bottom and then from the side.

Next, I used just a bit of water when finishing and securing the fold, put them on a very lightly greased cookie tray, brushed just a bit of olive oil on the tops, and put them in my convection/toaster oven at 425 for 12 minutes.

Both recipes noted above said between 10-15 minutes at 400 or 425 degrees in a regular oven, so I would pick your temperature and keep and eye on them.

I thought these tasted great as is, but I did make a dipping sauce from soy sauce, a bit of rice wine vinegar, some sugar and a bit or minced garlic and onion.

So, the verdict is – homemade egg rolls are easy to make and, while there are plenty of recipes with instructions for frying, I think baking works just as well and even better for crispness, especially when reheating (10 minutes at 350 works) and, obviously makes for a lower fat content.

Next time I will make a bunch and freeze to bake at a later date. Quick easy, and healthy – works for me!

Pork, Sweet Potato, and Cabbage Casserole on Soba Noodles

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I have not posted for ages, but I was determined to document this concoction since it is an experiment that worked. 🙂 Yes, I did start with a recipe, but I adapted it so as to use up a few leftovers from my New Year’s Day open house, as well as some pork that was in the freezer, some stray sweet potatoes, and a shallot. In addition, as noted toward the end, it can also be easily adapted to fit a vegetarian diet.

Here is what I had: a pork sirloin mini roast (1.17 lbs) that I sliced an inch or a bit under thick, apple chutney that I had made but forgotten to put out on New Year’s Day, chopped cabbage that I had forgotten to add to the sweet and sour beef soup I made for and served on New Year’s Day, and two sweet potatoes and a shallot that I had on hand.

The major ingredients

Here is the link to original recipe from which I was working:
Pork Chop Casserole Recipe with Sweet Potatoes

Obviously, I was not using chops, and this recipe calls for more than 1 lb or so of meat; also, it does not specify boned or bone-in. Given I had a smaller amount of meat, it worked out fine that I had only two small sweet potatoes, and I used about two cups of Apple Chutney (Click HERE for the recipe – it is buried in the pulled pork recipe but it is worth deciphering it out, so to speak) to replace the OJ, brown sugar, and spices.

I also did everything in an ovenproof skillet. Note to self: Do Not forget to use a pot holder when taking the skillet out of the oven…)

Anyway, I started by lightly browning the pork in a bit of olive oil to help seal in moisture in the pork and to give a nice flavor base for the rest of the ingredients.

In the middle of browning the pork

After removing the pork and setting it aside, I added a bit more olive oil and lightly sauteed thinly sliced shallot and a few stems of fresh thyme until the shallot was soft and the thyme quite fragrant.

getting stated with the shallot and fresh thyme

I then removed the shallot and thyme, added yet a bit more olive oil, and put the onion (one medium, sliced) in the pan.

Next, the onions

Once the onion was starting to get soft, I added about 3 cups of chopped savoy cabbage. (I am sure any type of cabbage would do – in fact, the red kind would make for a REALLY colorful dish!)

Then, add the cabbage to the onions

Once the cabbage cooked down a bit (after maybe 5 minutes or so), I stirred in the sliced sweet potato and the pork, including the juices, and then arranged the shallot and thyme on top. Finally, I put the lid on the pan, and into the oven preheated to 350 degrees it went.

Ready for the oven!

sensual close-up shot 🙂

After 50 minutes, the potatoes were just tender and the meat was still moist, so I put the pan with the cover on it back in the oven on the “keep warm” setting (170 dgrees) since we were not quite ready to eat. If I had wanted to serve sooner, I probably would have put it back in at the 350 degrees for another 5-10 minutes.

Finished!

If I had had more sweet potatoes on hand, or a few white potatoes to add to the mix, this could very well have been a one-dish meal. Or, I could have added some extra liquid and rice, or cooked rice separately and serve the pork and veggies over it. But, since it was a cold and stormy night, I thought soba noodles, made from the hearty buckwheat (often cited as good food for cold weather) would be the perfect match. And, it was!

on a bed of soba noodles

This turned out to be quite tasty. Upon reading the reviews of the original recipe, I think that it would fine as written, but both the original and my version would benefit from the sauce being thickened a bit, perhaps with cornstarch, and, in my version, I think a little more sweetness to counter the tart chutney would be nice. But overall, I think the dish works well as written, as adapted by me, and as a base for further adaptations. One note about the soba noodles: They do not expand as much as regular pasta, so you may not have as much leftover as you would have thought.

leftovers!

If you don’t care to eat meat, this recipe can easily be adapted to suit a vegetarian diet. If you want a concentrated protein source to serve as does the pork, then I think tempeh would work wonderfully with this recipe. Tofu and seitan may work, also, albeit the textures of tofu and the usual tamari-based flavor of seitan would give a different slant. This recipe could also inspire the creation of a rice, sweet potato, and cabbage (or other vegetable) casserole. Or, add edamame to replace the pork and still serve over the soba.

So, that’s it for now. I really need to get back to blogging here on a more regular basis. I have drafts and photos of various dishes and meals that I hope to document on this blog one of these days, but one the one ingredient I seem to always be low on is time, something for which thyme is no substitute… <grin>

Spicy rub for chicken, grilled sweet potatoes, cabbage saute – all with no garlic or onion!?!

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It was a hot day and I knew Steve would want to grill and I didn’t want to spend the money on pre-marinated chicken or the like. But, I didn’t have time to defrost AND marinate for long enough the 2 pounds of boneless, skinless chicken breasts I had in the freezer. I also had a half a cabbage and some sweet potatoes I wanted to use up. What to do?

Well, I punted and first looked for a way to quickly make grilled chicken really flavorful and came across this incredibly simple but totally delicious rub:

Sweet and Spicy Grilled Chicken Rub

The recipe calls for equal amounts chili powder, brown sugar, dried oregano, and olive oil, in this case, 1 Tablespoon each – and I added another tablespoon of olive oil to make it easier to spread around.

Rubbed and ready to grill!

So – THAT took care of the chicken, but what else to serve? Time to do a search for “grilled sweet potatoes” on the Internet, via which I found lots of options. Rather than create more work for Steve by asking him to deal with multiple slices of sweet potatoes on the grill, I opted for a recipe that combined cubed sweet potato and seasonings in a foil pack that could go on the grill with little supervision.

I honestly don’t remember exactly what I did, but it involved 3-4 modestly-sized sweet potatoes cut into 1” or so cubes, a few pats of butter, a drizzle or two of olive oil, a few turns of the pepper mill, a pinch of salt, and a healthy sprinkling of brown sugar. I liked the idea of using brown sugar since it was also an ingredient in the chicken rub. And, so easy to just wrap it all up in a sheet of heavy foil and toss on the grill! Of course, this could easily be roasted in the oven or, with a bit of added liquid, cooked stovetop, as well.

For the cabbage, I decided to use a recipe that I had made with great success a few weeks before – with the original version using green beans with the cabbage:

Green Beans and Cabbage with Coriander Butter You can see how I prepared this veggie dish in my post of May 15, 2011

This time, I didn’t have green beans on hand but figured that carrots would work since their sweetness would also benefit from the coriander in the recipe as well as compliment the sweetness from the brown sugar in the chicken rub and sweet potato dish. So, I improvised:

Green Beans and Carrots with Coriander Butter

4 tablespoons butter
3 cups chopped cabbage
1 -2 cups julienned carrots
1 teaspoon ground coriander

Into the Frying Pan….

In a large skillet, melt butter over medium-high heat for 3 to 4 minutes, until butter just begins to turn golden brown. Remove from heat and add cabbage and green beans; toss to coat with butter. Sprinkle in 1 teaspoon ground coriander and toss well. Return to stove and cook over low heat.

So, there you have it. A totally amazing meal with lovely flavors that totally complimented one another. Steve and I were in heaven during this meal of grilled chicken breast with a sweet and spicy rub, sweet potatoes roasted with brown sugar, and a cabbage and carrot sauté. Unbelievably delicious!!!! And I still can’t believe I made an entire meal with NO garlic and NO onions (or scallions or shallots, etc.) But, I am sure all three dishes would taste great with onion and or garlic added. Indeed, I have in my notes that I was planning on adding garlic to at least the veggie sauté…. Maybe next time. 🙂

Note to those Wary of Cabbage: I have served both red and green cabbage a lot this past winter and spring with Steve and I discovering, to our surprise, how much we REALLY like cabbage and leading Steve to comment: “Cabbage really gets a bum rap…” Needless to say, cabbage, with or without a complimentary vegetable, is superb when combined with butter and coriander!

Another Note: I just realized that this meal was based on fall vegetables and flavors but worked just fine on a hot summer night. Perhaps the chili powder brought it all together in a way that smoothed over that juxtaposition. Although, now we know what veggies to use on that first day warm enough for grilling but before the summer veggies are in. 🙂

Once again, I forget to take a picture of the plated meal. Here are the leftovers. 🙂

Scalloped Potatoes with Ham – Comfort Food!

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THIS is comfort food. If you are vegetarian, see the end of the post for how to adapt this recipe without losing out on all the flavors. Although, I think this came out so very wonderfully because I used ham from the amazing ham I prepared last week using My New Favorite Ham recipe.

Click the recipe title to see the original recipe from which I started.
Scalloped Potatoes with Ham

Ingredients
An asterisk * means I made a change to or added an ingredient.

•    2 tablespoons butter
•    2 tablespoons flour (I used whole wheat flour)
•    1 1/2 cups milk via a 5 oz can of evaporated milk, 2 Tbsp of instant dry milk, and water to make 1 1/2 cups total.*
•    1/4 tsp hot pepper flakes (will use more next time!)*
•    Salt and pepper
•    1-2 tsp dried parsley *
•    2 tablespoon olive oil (for sauteing)*
•    2 medium onions, thinly sliced
•    1 cup chopped green bell pepper *
•    3/4 cup grated carrot *
•    1.25 lb of assorted potatoes, thinly sliced (I used what I had on hand)*
•    8 ounces/2 cups of cooked ham in about 1/2 inch chunks.*
•    1 1/2 cups grated cheddar cheese *

The main ingredients. I just love all the colors.

Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter or oil a baking dish. In a saucepan, melt 2 tablespoons butter over medium high heat.

I couldn't resist infusing some red pepper flakes in the butter. I should have used more and will try using 2-3 times the amount next time!

Stir in flour and cook for 1 minute.

The butter and flour ready for the milk.

Remove saucepan from heat and whisk in milk. Return pan to heat and bring to a simmer while stirring. When sauce has thickened remove from heat, season with salt and pepper (and I added parsley, as well) and set aside.

Thickened to the consistency of thin pancake batter.

In a skillet, cook onions in olive oil (or butter if using original recipe ingredients) until golden brown.

I sauteed the oinons until almost done to my liking before adding the chopped green pepper. This is because I didn’t want the moisture from the pepper releasing into the oil before the oinions had a chance to start browning. I cooked the mixture just a bit more, then stirred in the grated carrot and put it all aside until ready to assemble the dish. I figured the pepper and carrot would have plenty of time to cook in the oven.

Spread one third (1/2 cup) of the white sauce in bottom of baking dish and top with half of the potatoes. Spread out half of the onion/veggie mix, ham, and one third (1/2 cup) of the cheese. Pour another third of the sauce on that layer. Add the other half of the onion/veggie mix, ham and top with the last 1/2 cup of sauce and remaining cheese.

After the last of the sauce and before the last of the cheese.

All set to pop in the oven!

Bake for 45 – an hour minutes until golden and bubbly. Then, have at it!

This was really, really tasty. Again, I do think that the leftover ham, with its sweet and spicy flavor, added tremendously to the flavor. But, I think adding the green pepper and carrot gave a flavor boost to this old favorite, as well.

There is, of course, no reason why this can’t be made with a chopped up ham steak or sliced ham. For some sweetness, use pineapple or apple juice in lieu of water if using evaporated or powered milk, or sprinkle some brown sugar, as well as some clove powder over each layer.

And, if you prefer a vegetarian, or even vegan version, this seasoning method will work for you, also. And, vegetarian or not, ou can also add more potatoes or other vegetables. Just be be sure to cook more watery veggies down before baking the final dish so as to not add too much moisture.

If you want a “meaty” texture in there, use soy or seitan (wheat gluten) based protein items that have a smoky/ham sort of flavor. Also – when I was eating a vegan diet, I had no problem making a nice roux/white sauce with soy or rice milk, etc. I think I actually made it with just flour, oil, and water a few times. (Hmm, I will have to try that to make sure my memory is correct!)

All-in-all, this is a tasty and pleasantly textured dish, whether you follow the traditional recipe I link to at the top, try out my version or experiment with my additional suggestions. In the end, it is indeed one of those comfort food dishes that every cook should have in their repertoire. Except for my friend Kathleen who can no longer eat onions. I have NO idea what to substitute for that!

My New Favorite Ham Recipe

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Easter is one of the holidays that I host for my family and I have the menu down pat…At least, I thought I did! Not that anyone has complained, but there will definitely be a few changes to the menu this next Easter!

For one thing – no more spiral cut ham. Why? Because, upon trying out a new thing or two on the Cook’s brand bone-in butt end ham (6.4 pounds) I recently picked up on sale, I am realizing that the spiral cut, while making serving easier, is not conducive to keeping all of the moisture and flavor in the meat.

I actually had a lot of fun with this ham.

Retro Ham!

Yes – those are pineapple rings. So 50’s. 🙂 I did the crisscross scoring, poured a bit of gingerale over it, stuck a bunch of cloves in and added the pineapple slices, mixed about 1/4 cup brown sugar with the canned pineapple liquid and poured that over it all, and finished up with freshly grated nutmeg (1/4 tsp) along with some cinnamon (1 tsp) and ginger powder (1 scant tsp). I am guestimating on the measurements I used…Click HERE for the link to the original recipe from which I was working.

After 3 hours at 325 covered tightly with foil:

Just out of the oven!

Once removing from the oven, I lifted the rack and spooned the liquid in the pan over it and let it sit, loosely tented in the foil, for about 1/2 an hour or so before transferring to the carving board.

The artsy shot. 🙂

I should have take a picture of it after it was carved. It looked as moist and tasty as it tasted. I was afraid that I had overdone the spices, etc. but this was just wonderful.

I served it with roasted yukon gold potato chunks and an amazing sweet potato and red cabbage (!?) recipe that totally rocked. Click HERE for that recipe. And, here is the regular potato recipe:

I cut the potatoes into approximately 2 inch chunks and started them 1 1/2 hours into the ham baking process so they would have 90 minutes at the 325 degrees. Basically, I just cut potatoes into 2 inch chunks, toss with a bit of olive oil, freshly ground pepper, and salt, and add maybe 1/3 – 1/2 cup liquid (in this case, liquid from the ham that was already part-way cooked) cover tightly and bake until soft. Then (optional) continue baking uncovered until more crisp on the outside.

Along with switching to this ham type and recipe, I am thinking I will also replace the baked mashed potatoes I have been serving on Easter with roasted potato chunks. Always good to make a change before one gets too stuck in tradition. 🙂

Doctoring the Sauce :)

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I usually make my own pasta sauce these days. If I am in a hurry, I will at least add some fresh herbs from plants that I bring indoors for the winter and a fresh tomato or two to a jar of sauce and give it at least a bit of a simmer. But the other night, I REALLY wanted homemade sauce but ran out of time. So, off to Farmland I went to see what I could find.

One of the reasons I like to make my own sauce from canned or “frozen from my summer gardening” tomatoes is because I have control over the sodium level. I look for canned tomatoes with little or no sodium, 15-30 grams per ½ cup, versus the usual 200-300 mgs or so.

And, goodness knows I like to support charities, as does buying the Newman’s Own™ brand, but Newman’s sauces, as tasty as they are, are all on the higher end of sodium levels, with an average of 600 mgs sodium per ½ cup. I have often bought Classico ™ since it tastes pretty good and some flavors come in at350-450 mgs per ½ cup.

But, imagine my surprise when I discovered Pastene’s ™ Chateau Marina Sauce coming in at 190 mgs sodium per ½ cup, and my even greater surprised when I tasted it right out of the jar. It is REALLY tasty!

I was totally surprised at how good this sauce tastes!

Bright is the word I would (well, did, I guess!) use to describe the flavor. That and fresh. I highly recommend it as is. But of course, I seldom leave jarred sauce well enough alone. <grin> And, what I discovered was a way to create an amazing, truly homemade, all-day simmered tasting sauce in under two hours. I will add that the sauce tasted so good from the beginning that I didn’t even bother to add additional dried or fresh herbs.

When at Farmland, I bought 2 sweet and 2 hot sausages, a bit over ¾ lb. ground sirloin, 6 medium fresh mushrooms, and two 24 oz. jars of the Pastene ™ Chateau Marina Sauce.

When I got home, I immediately sliced the sausage crosswise about an inch in thickness (4-5 slices per sausage) and also cut a big fresh red bell pepper into very thick slices. I mixed in about 3 Tablespoons of EVO and popped it all into a 350 degree oven, uncovered, with the timer set to check them at 45 minutes.

Then I made some meatballs – just a very basic recipe – there are a million online. I added chopped onion, dried oregano, marjoram, and thyme, an egg, breadcrumbs, and oatmeal to the ground beef. I just realized that I did NOT add freshly ground black pepper! That was probably a first. I put that in just about everything!

Once the meatballs were formed, I set them aside in the fridge while put the jarred sauce in a pot and over a medium flame to get it up to heat. Then I chopped up an onion and a green bell pepper, sliced the mushrooms, minced a few cloves of garlic, and sautéed the lot in some olive oil until tender. After putting the sautéed veggies in the sauce, I added a bit more olive oil to the frying pan and browned the meatballs. That was a little messy and the meatballs did not stay round, but once in the sauce, the looks didn’t really matter. J

Once the meatballs were well-browned, I added them to the sauce, and added the baked sausage and red pepper when that was nicely browned and sizzling a bit – 50 minutes, I think it was. I did NOT add any of the remaining fat in either pans to the sauce.

I then let the sauce simmer on low for about 45 minutes. And that was that. It was scrumptious!! I will still make my own sauce when I can get an hour or two earlier start, but this worked for me in a relative pinch.

When done, I tossed the pasta with fresh pressed olive oil and also complicated the meal with a wonderful multigrain flaxseed bread from Farmland and more of that fresh pressed olive oil. Sometimes, it doesn’t take hours and hours or a ton of money to create a little heaven on earth.

I forgot to take a picture until it was almost all gone. 🙂

[NOTE: Next time I may bake or broil the meatballs if the timing works out. Although, I have seen recipes that say to just form the meatballs and pop them right into the sauce to simmer until done. If baked sausages is also used, perhaps there is no need to get the extra flavor from browning the meatballs and a step can be saved.]

Harvest Pork Stew

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I bought a lovely butternut squash from Farmer Dave at the Wakefield Farmer’s Market and, while I love butternut squash any which way – roasted, smashed, in a pie, etc., I was in the mood to try a new recipe. So, I searched around the Internet and found a recipe featuring butternut squash called Harvest Pork Stew.

I hit the jackpot.

This is really good, really easy to make, and can be done in an hour or so before dinnertime, or be started off early to cook in a crockpot. In addition, since it also calls for apples, onions, potatoes and carrots, it provides the perfect opportunity to highlight all kinds of fresh fall produce. With the flavors of sage, rosemary, and bay leaves topping it off – this makes for a perfect meal for an autumn evening. For the perfect complementary dessert, try my simple but delicious Apple Crisp recipe.

I pretty much followed the recipe I found on Allrecipes.com verbatim. Here it is with any of my changes or clarifications in brackets. [ ]

Note:
To prepare from fresh squash, see How to EASILY Peel Raw Butternut Squash!

Ingredients
•    2 tablespoons butter or oil
•    1 1/2 pounds boneless pork, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
•    2 cloves garlic, minced
•    1 medium onion, chopped
•    3 cups chicken broth
•    1/2 teaspoon salt
•    1/4 teaspoon dried rosemary, crushed [I doubled this amount]
•    1/4 teaspoon rubbed sage [I used two fresh leaves]
•    1 bay leaf
•    3 cups frozen, cubed butternut squash   [I used a bit more of fresh squash]
•    2 MacIntosh apples, cored and cubed [I used 1 1/2 big Macs]
•    2 large potatoes, peeled and cubed (optional) [I used two medium potatoes]
•   2 cups carrots, peeled and diced (optional)   [I only used two small carrots]
•   [I also added ground black pepper to taste, maybe 1/2 teaspoon]

Directions
1) Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the pork and cook until lightly browned on all sides. Stir in the garlic and onion, and continue to cook until the onion has softened, and the pork is firm, and no longer pink, about 5 minutes.

Onion and garlic just added to lightly browned pork, with pork still a bit pink.

Pork, with onion and garlic cooked until just tender

2) Place the pork and onions into a large saucepan. Pour in the chicken broth, and season with salt, rosemary, sage, and the bay leaf. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer for 20 minutes.

Instead of dried, I minced two fresh sage leaves and crushed dried rosemary in my suribachi to make 1/2 a teaspoon.

Ready for the first 20 minute simmer

3) Stir in the butternut squash, apples, potatoes, and carrots. Return to a simmer, then cook, uncovered until the squash and apples are tender, about 20 minutes. Remove the bay leaf and serve.

Three HEAPING cups of cubed squash. The rest went into the fridge.

Two HEAPING cups of cubed apple. I saved the rest for later.

Two HEAPING cups of potato

Just a cup of diced carrots

Ready for the last 20 minute simmer

Slow Cooker Method – I have not tried this, but I bet it is just as good!
Lightly brown the pork in the butter or oil and cook until firm and opaque. Add to the slow cooker along with remaining ingredients. Cook on High for 1 hour, then reduce heat to Low and simmer 4 hours, or until tender.

This recipe was truly a winner. Steve and I both loved it, it stretched the meat, and was full of tasty and nutritious vegetables. Next I am going to try it with chicken. And, I bet the slow cook method would be good with beef. Post a message if you try the chicken or beef before I do!

Update – If you are in a big hurry, buy the peeled squash halves at the grocery store. The folks at America’s Test Kitchens recommend such in a pinch, but they do NOT recommend the peeled and cut up product. However, from a local market that does it themselves, such as Wakefield MA’s Farmland, it is a totally acceptable choice, in my opinion. 🙂

Salmon Summer Fruit Salad. REALLY Tasty!

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A big THANK YOU to Marcia Calvin, one of my fellow members of the Wakefield Unitarian Universalist Church, for bringing this lovely salad to our church potluck picnic last Sunday!

I love potlucks. They provide a wonderful opportunity to try new dishes and enjoy old favorites such as Mary Adele Taylor’s deviled eggs. Yum! 🙂

The only drawback is that, with so many different items, it can sometimes be a bit difficult to really appreciate a unique dish, such as this interesting combination of fruit and fish, at a potluck. Also, Marcia had thoughtfully provided the dressing on the side for those who may want to save some calories and I forgot to add the dressing when I tried the salad. But, I was very intrigued and wanted the whole experience, so I asked for the recipe.

I am thinking Marcia should do a cooking blog, too. Along with the recipe, she provided detailed notes and also included what looks to be a a great recipe for baked fish. I’ll have to try that one soon!

The ingredients gathered

So, here is the recipe, noting a few options beyond the recipe that Marcia shared with me:

Salmon Summer Fruit Salad

Dressing:
1 shallot, chopped
1 tablespoon chopped fresh dill or 1 teaspoon dried dill weed
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley or 1 teaspoon dried parsley flakes
5 tablespoons raspberry vinegar
1/4 cup olive or vegetable oil (one version calls for just 1 tablespoon)
2 tablespoons pecans (walnuts work fine) OR
1 tablespoon honey (one version has honey instead of nuts)
1/2 teaspoon lemon juice, or more, to taste

Salad:
3 cups torn leaf lettuce
2 cups torn Bibb lettuce (I used mostly romaine and some of whatever type is in my garden)
1 (7.5-oz.) can pink salmon, drained, skin and bones removed – or buy fresh and cook it yourself.
2 medium nectarines, sliced (or equivalent of chunks of orange)
1/2 cup fresh raspberries

Directions:
1. In small bowl, combine all dressing ingredients; beat with wire whisk until blended.

Or:

Use a small food processor and pulse to mince the shallot and green herbs first, then add the nuts and pulse to coarsely chop, then add the vinegar, oil, and lemon juice (and honey if using instead or in addition to nuts) and pulse just until blended.

2. In large bowl, combine all salad ingredients except raspberries. Drizzle with dressing; toss gently to coat. Gently fold in raspberries.

Serving Suggestions:

Serve on individual salad plates or in Tortilla Salad Shells.

Tip: The dressing can be made ahead of time and refrigerated for several hours or overnight.

1/4 cup or so chopped shallot. This shows a scant 1/3 cup.

This makes about one tablespoon, chopped.

I made the salad a few hours before heading out to a Linden Tree Coffeehouse* volunteer appreciation party on June 18 and decided to bring it with me to get additional opinions beyond Steve’s and mine. WELL!!!! It was a resounding success! So much so that Steve didn’t get a chance to try it that evening. So, I made it again the next day.

Upon arriving home with more raspberries and salmon, I realized that I had forgotten nectarines, although, the chances of getting ripe ones were small anyway. In fact, after receiving the recipe and purchasing the ingredients mid week, it was not until Friday that the nectarines were ripe enough to use.

So, there I was, and I didn’t want to got back to the store again, anyway. But, since the dressing contains lemon juice, I suspected that one could substitute with an orange. Just to make sure, I searched online for recipes with salmon and orange. That’s when I found on very similar to the recipe Marcia sent me that had honey instead of nuts in the dressing, either one a thickening source, I am guessing. Just use honey if you want it more sweet or don’t have pecans or walnuts on hand.

The Dressing - with nuts, not honey

And, speaking of substitutes, online research told me that walnuts are a good substitute for pecans, so, since walnuts were what I had, that is what I used. And, I suppose you could use onion instead of shallot, but I wouldn’t recommend it unless you used Vidalia or other sweet type of onion. But, frankly, I am a huge fan of shallots and always make sure to have plenty on hand.

Bottom line is that this salad is excellent with either nectarines or fresh chunks of orange. I saw recipes with salmon, that call for canned manderin orange pieces, also, so that would be another option.

pre - dressing

Nectarine version - with dressing

with chunks of orange, dressed

A few more notes: I used mostly romaine lettuce, because that is what I had in my fridge. I did supplement it with greens from my box garden, though.

Some kind of lettuce and arugula

I am pretty amazed by how prolific this lettuce is. I picked 7 or eight leaves total two days in a row and it seems to grow back overnight. Now I need to really leave it alone so it has a chance to really get going!

And, the final note: Rather than used canned salmon, Marcia bought fresh salmon and cooked it herself, which was an excellent touch to her version. And, I’d recommend doing that if you have the time and can find some good fresh salmon. But, I do think, flavor-wise, the canned works quite well, since there are so many other flavors going on in this dish.

But, whatever you do, I recommend trying this recipe. It is especially good for potlucks because, along with tasting great, the unexpected mix of ingredients is a great conversation starter.

* Along with a fun jam session later in the evening at the Linden Tree Coffeehouse party, we were treated to excellent music by Gail Rundlett and her son Julian. Gail really liked the salad, by the way. 🙂